Promotion, it would appear, is the hot topic of the moment. The Fresh Produce Consortium is calling for a generic promotional body for the industry and now Red Tractor bosses are calling on fresh produce companies to put their hands in their pockets.

With a general reluctance within the industry to support a single promotion of this nature, let alone two, it will be interesting to see how both these campaigns fare.

At the end of the day, while companies in the sector continue to watch margins dwindle away, it gets harder and harder to justify further expense. But justify it they must.

The Red Tractor campaign has managed to generate a consumer recognition level of one in three on an extremely tight budget. Impressive, but recognition is where it ends - ask a consumer what the Red Tractor stands for and you are more than likely to draw a blank. Recognition is now needed from the industry. The campaign needs funding if it is to explain to consumers just what it stands for, and thus allow the UK food industry to benefit from that.

It is up to the industry - either you embrace what is being offered or you do not. But, should the Red Tractor fall by the wayside, when you find yourself caught in the commodity trap, competing with low cost imports and hard-line buyers, do not expect it to come riding to your rescue.